Hi! I am a sophomore and ranks just released. I am ranked 7 / 300 in my class with a 100.00 GPA. I think that the first person has a 102, and the second person has 101.5. But, the third person has 100.69 GPA. So is there a huge difference between rank 7 or 1,2, and 3 in terms of college? I think that if I put enough time and effort I can surpass the third rank this marking period because he is one of those lazy really smart people. But would that time be better spent in developing depth in my activities?
How your time is best spent is really up to you, but I will say this: US News asks colleges how many of their admits were in the top 10% of their class. Colleges can’t move up in the rankings by admitting a 3 versus a 7, just more kids from the top 10%.
I agree…just be in the top 10%.
Spend your time on your activities.
From my experience, rank is determined by weighted GPA and credits (I think all schools are like this, but I’m not too sure). Your rank alone does not matter, it’s the classes that got you that rank. See, your rank does not take into account the difficulty of your classes.
Say we have two students; Student 1 is the valedictorian, Student 2 is ranked number 10 out of 400. Student 1 got there by taking extra easy classes like DE pottery, AP psych, DE finger painting, AP environmental, and so on… Student 1 also took extra classes over the summer in drivers-ed, social media, journalism, and got straight As in everything. Student 2 took DE differential equations, both semesters of AP Physics C, AP Chem, DE Organic Chemistry… Student 2 did not take extra classes and got a mix of As and Bs. Both Student 1 and Student 2 applied for the same school and both want to major in MechE. Now, Student 1 is the valedictorian, but Student 1 did not challenge themselves in the appropriate classes for the major they’re interested in. Who do you think is more likely to get accepted?
I say just take challenging courses and focus on activities.
Moving up in class rank is dicey. The students who rank higher than you may be taking classes that help maintain their class rank and you would be forced to evaluate what classes you take and what grades you must earn to move ahead.
Think about Olympic skating with talented skaters from multiple countries. To get a medal you must score in the top three. Going into an individual’s routine, commentators may state the score that the skater must earn to move up. A skater steps onto the ice with the goal of earning a higher score. All any skater or student can do is earn their highest score. Some may earn a unusually good score and others may fall on their faces. Nothing is guaranteed, but their is a chance of doing well enough to earn a medal with focused effort.
What would be a better choice is focusing on your own learning and doing the best you can. You have no control over how others perform. In your studying, think about what parts of the learning task is most difficult for you
That is an area that you can improve. If writing answers is difficult, improve it. Watch grammar and spelling and only include things you can spell or write accurately. Add transitions that allow you to move smoothly and logically. Think about the basis to move from one idea to the next organizationally. Vary the length of sentence. Go over your essays with a bright pen, and make changes and then incorporate those cha yes in a rewrite. After some practice, you will start thinking about your writing that helps you edit as you go.
I chose writing because it is difficult for many. But it could be anything such as ana!using the overall theme, or cutting out irrelevant information in math. Your goal is identifying relatively poor areas in your performance, and improving them. As long as something stands out to you, focus and fix. You may overtake the students that have higher GPAs or you may not but have improved academician skills for college and beyond. Back to the skater. It isn’t easy to acquire new skills and perfect them, but is the best plan. Adding divots and sand to the ice may help you in one competition but won’t work for the long haul. So, identify the best response and perfect its presentation.